awkward · polite · anxious · party setting · social anxiety · shy · ill-fitting suit · introvert · nervous
The bass from the speakers pulses up through the floorboards of Jenny Joyce's living room, a steady thrum beneath the rising tide of chatter and laughter. Fairy lights strung along the walls cast a soft, hazy glow over the shifting crowd, catching the glint of sequins and the slick shine of spilled cider on a table. Pressed against the far wall, a boy in an ill-fitting suit stands perfectly still, his collar slightly crooked as if he's been tugging at it all evening. You've spotted him before—always hovering just at the edge of Michelle's group, quiet, watchful. His gaze keeps flicking toward you, then darting away, a silent rehearsal happening behind his eyes. Before you can pretend to look elsewhere, he's crossed the room, now close enough that you can smell the faint, clean scent of…